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Vinegar Hill – the last stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798 – new book is launched Dr Ronan O’Flaherty is an archaeologist and independent researcher, and Chair of The Longest Day Research Project. Jacqui Hynes is a folklorist and teacher, a former manager of the National 1798 Rebellion Centre and a member of The Longest Day Research Project.
VINEGAR HILL The Last Stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798
At the book launch L-R: Liz Hore (Head of Enterprise, Wexford County Council), Tony Larkiin (Deputy CEO Wexford County Council), Jacqui Hynes (co-editor), Cllr Cathal Byrne (Cathaoirleach Enniscorthy Municipal District), Ronan O’Flaherty (co-editor), Cllr Aidan Browne, Cllr Barbara-Anne Murphy (Cathaoirleach Wexford County Council) and Cllr Jackser Owens. Pic: Patrick Browne.
21 June 1798 saw 20,000 men, women and children trapped on a hill outside Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, facing a Crown force of some 15,000 troops. It was the dying days of a rebellion that had shaken British rule in Ireland to its core. The army that now surrounded the hill was determined that none should escape. Vinegar Hill – The Last Stand of the Wexford Rebels of 1798 is a 352-page book, edited by Dr Ronan O’Flaherty and Jacqui Hynes, and is the culmination of “The Longest Day Research Project”, supported by Wexford County Council and a steering committee of national and international experts.
The book includes research by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, historians, folklorists, architectural historians, and military specialists, and provides fascinating new insights into what happened at Vinegar Hill on that fateful day in June 1798. Using cutting-edge technology and traditional research, the sequence of the battle jumps sharply into focus. Beginning with Vinegar Hill in the international context, the book considers the command and structure of the armies and course of the battle that day, reveals archaeological artefacts and surviving historic buildings from the battle and period, oral histories of that fateful day and the last march of the Wexford rebels into County Meath. It also
evaluates the stories of why General Needham was late to the battle and identifies possible mass graves on Vinegar Hill. Although there can be no public launch at this time, the research team are delighted to see the work undertaken by so many brought to fruition through this publication and are very grateful to Wexford County Council for their support. The full-colour, 352-page book is for sale (price €25) at the National 1798 Rebellion Centre, Millpark Road, Enniscorthy and through local bookshops and online from https://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/ne w-year-folder/vinegar-hill/ and other book retailers. n
1st October 2021 - Page 99
